Steve McCabe MP brushes up on the importance of good dental hygiene in children

Steve this week lent his support to an event in Parliament highlighting the importance of improving

Attending a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dentistry at Parliament, Steve discovered how local targeted schemes are being used to tackle oral health inequalities.

The meeting heard from Dr Colette Bridgman, Consultant in Dental Public Health, who highlighted the extent of oral health inequalities that exist amongst children across the UK. In Birmingham, water fluoridation has ensured that the level of tooth decay in 12-15 year olds has dropped dramatically over the last 20 years.

Steve said: “If we are to improve the dental health of local five year olds we will need a range of programmes that involve dentists, parents, schools, nurseries and local authorities. In the midst of reforms to the health service and dentistry we need to ensure that the needs of vulnerable children in the constituency are not overlooked.”

Steve has recently undertaken a survey of local dentists in Birmingham Selly Oak. The dentists expressed concern that children’s dental care may become a lower priority under the Conservative led Government’s plans.

Two out of three dentists in Birmingham Selly Oak who expressed an opinion did not support the Government’s proposals for changes to the way that NHS dentistry is commissioned. Local dentists have also shown widely varying opinions over whether the Government’s plans will improve the standard of dental care.